The invention relates to child safety barriers, such as are placed across doorways to protect children.
Safety gates are found in interior doorways in the homes of many people with infants or small children. Some such gates are rigidly mounted to one side of a passage and can swing open. Others, for example, are secured by pressure against a doorframe, and removed entirely to allow passage. Still others, for example Sandsborg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,317, have suggested expanding a flexible barrier across a doorway to act as a safety gate for children. Improvements in manufacturability and ease of use are desired for such gates.
The invention features a flexible barrier-type safety gate that can be readily adjusted to set a maximum extension width when mounting the gate in position.
In one broad aspect a method of installing a barrier device at a passageway is disclosed that includes attaching a barrier housing to a structural element on one side of the passageway, the barrier housing containing a retractable barrier that is extendable across the passageway, extending the barrier a desired distance from the barrier housing, with the barrier so extended, setting an extension limit of the barrier to prevent subsequent extension of the barrier beyond the desired distance from the barrier housing, the extension limit permitting subsequent retraction and re-extension of the barrier up to the set extension limit, and with the extension limit set, retracting the barrier into the housing. The method may also include attaching a receptacle housing with a receptacle capable of mating to a latching device on the barrier and re-extending the barrier to engage the latching device with the receptacle to prevent the barrier from inadvertently retracting. Setting the extension limit of the barrier can include positioning an adjustable stop so that it contacts a stop member coupled to the barrier to impede subsequent movement of the barrier stop member beyond that position. The barrier can be coupled at one edge to a shaft, and the barrier stop member can include a shaft gear secured to the shaft and coupled to a stop gear. The stop gear can be configured to rotate less than 360 degrees when the barrier is extended from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position and can be configured to rotate less than 360 degrees for each full rotation of the shaft. The stop gear may be coupled to the shaft gear through an intermediate gear, with the shaft gear and the intermediate gear defining a first reduction ratio that is between about 1:1 and 20:1, that is more preferably between about 2:1 and 7:1 and that is most preferably about 3.25:1, and the intermediate gear and the stop gear defining a second reduction ratio that is between about 1:1 and 20:1, that is more preferably between about 2:1 and 7:1 and that is most preferably about 3.25:1. The first and second reduction ratios can be combined to define a total reduction ratio that is between about 5:1 and 20:1 and that is more preferably about 10.25:1. The adjustable stop position may be adjusted by positioning might adjustment knob that is exposed for manual manipulation by an operator. The adjustment knob can be rotatable about an axis to a selectable position thereby setting a desired position of the adjustable stop.
In a second broad aspect, an adjustable width child safety device is disclosed that includes a housing mountable to a surface on one side of a passageway, a main shaft coupled to the housing for rotation about an axis, a flexible barrier secured to the main shaft at an inner edge of the barrier, the barrier being extendable across the passageway to inhibit passage by a child and an extension limiter coupling a first end of the main shaft to the housing. The extension limiter includes an adjustable stop configured to be secured to the housing in any of a multiplicity of selectable positions, and a barrier stop member coupled to the main shaft to rotate as the shaft turns. The barrier stop member is positioned to engage the adjustable stop as the barrier is extended with the adjustable stop secured in a selected position, thereby limiting further extension of the barrier from the housing, while permitting subsequent retraction and re-extension of the barrier up to an extension limit set by the selected position of the adjustable stop. The barrier stop member can include a shaft gear secured to the main shaft, and a stop gear coupled to the shaft gear. The stop gear can include a discrete stop surface defining a rotational limit of the shaft, the stop surface being positioned to engage the adjustable stop thereby impeding rotation of the stop gear with respect to the housing. The stop gear can be constructed to rotate less than 360 degrees for each full rotation of the shaft. The stop gear can be coupled to the shaft gear through an intermediate gear, the shaft gear and the intermediate gear defining a first reduction ratio, and the intermediate gear and the stop gear defining a second reduction ratio. The first and second reduction ratios combine to define a total reduction ratio that is between about 5:1 and 20:1 but is more preferably about 10.25:1. The total reduction ratio can be such that the stop gear rotates less than 360 degrees as the barrier is extended from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position. Each of the first and second reduction ratios can be between about 1:1 and 20:1 but is more preferably between about 2:1 and 7:1 and is most preferably about 3.25:1.
The adjustable stop can include an adjustment knob exposed for manual manipulation by an operator to set the adjustable stop in a desired position. The adjustment knob can be rotatable about an axis to a multiplicity of selectable positions, each selectable position corresponding to a selectable position of the adjustable stop. The adjustable width child safety device can further include a lock positioned to engage the adjustable stop and to prevent adjustment of a selected position of the adjustable stop until the lock is released.
The adjustable width child safety device can also include a spring load assembly coupling the barrier to the housing and biasing the barrier position toward a retracted position. The spring loading assembly can include a stationary shaft at least partially contained within the main shaft and securely attached to the housing. A torsion spring can be disposed between the stationary shaft and the rotatable main shaft, and can have a first end that is securely attached to the stationary shaft and a second end securely attached to the main shaft. The width of the flexible barrier, perpendicular to its direction of extension, can range from about 1 to 4 feet.
The adjustable width child safety device also can include a latch housing mountable to a surface on an opposite side of the passageway and defining a latch receptacle for receiving and releasably securing a latch assembly that is secured to an outer edge of the barrier. The latch assembly can include a latch release trigger operable to withdraw a locking tab from a slot in the latch housing and a trigger lock having an adjustable position to either enable or prevent the latch release trigger from withdrawing the locking tab from the slot in the latch housing. The latch release trigger and the trigger lock may be simultaneously operated using a single hand. Typically the barrier can extend from the housing to a distance between about 12 inches and 72 inches or more preferably between about 24 and 51 inches. The barrier can be a flexible sheet void of holes there through larger than 1 square inch in area or a mesh sheet.
In yet another broad aspect, an adjustable width child safety device is disclosed that includes a housing mountable to a surface on one side of a passageway, a main shaft having a first end and a second end, each end being coupled to the housing and allowing rotation of the main shaft about an axis, a flexible barrier secured to the main shaft at one edge of the barrier, and extendable across the passageway to inhibit passage by a child, an extension limiter coupling the first end of the main shaft to the housing, the extension limiter including a movable member with a shaft gear secured to the main shaft, an intermediate gear coupled to the shaft gear, and a stop gear coupled to the intermediate gear, the stop gear comprising a rotation limiting flag and configured to rotate less than 360xc2x0 for each rotation that the main shaft makes, and a fixed member with a rotation limiting flag stop having an adjustable position, positionable to impede the motion of the stop gear, thereby, setting a rotational limit of the main shaft with respect to the housing while permitting subsequent retraction and re-extension of the barrier up to the set rotational limit. The child safety barrier also includes a rotational limit adjustment knob securely coupled to the fixed member, the rotational limit adjustment knob being rotatable about an axis to enable adjusting the position of the fixed member, the rotational limit adjustment knob being matable with a locking member. The shaft gear and the intermediate gear define a first reduction ratio and the intermediate gear and the stop gear define a second reduction ratio, the first and second reduction ratios combine to define a total reduction ratio. The total reduction ratio can be such that the stop gear rotates less than 360 degrees as the barrier is extended from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position. Each of the first and the second reduction ratios can be between approximately 1:1 and 20:1. The total reduction ratio can be between about 5:1 and 20:1.
The adjustable width child safety device also can include a stationary shaft at least partially contained within the main shaft and securely attached to the housing. A torsion spring can be disposed between the stationary shaft and the main shaft, the torsion spring having a first end securely attached to the stationary shaft and a second end securely attached to the main shaft. The adjustable width child safety device can be configured to block access through the passageway over a height that is between about 1 and 4 feet.
The adjustable width child safety device also can include a latch receptacle housing mounted to a surface on an opposite side of the passageway and defining a latch receptacle for receiving and releasably securing a latch assembly secured to an outer edge of the barrier.
Implementation of the techniques and apparatus described herein may provide one or more of the following advantages. A barrier with a set extension limit can be simply erected to prevent children from traversing a passageway. At the same time, the barrier can allow an adult to simply unlatch the barrier, retract the barrier, traverse the passageway, re-extend and relatch the barrier to the original extended position. The barrier extension limit need not be set each time the passageway is traversed.